Mini-hydroelectric facilities in Portugal

The several fuel crises and also the dependence of our country on those energies had the merit of evidencing, not only that this type of energy has is limits, but also the need to diversify the sources of energy. These aspects should be remembered when the energy markets are more interested in looking on ways of how to save and how to produce energy in a clean way. For these and other reasons, the important value of endogenous resources of each country are being explored in every way possible. Optimizing energy resources is a necessary vector to the development and the economy of all countries. We can see that many countries have taken a step forward in this way of thinking when they signed the Kyoto Protocol. Like many other European countries, Portugal signed this Protocol and made the commitment to have, in 2010, 39% of all the energy produced in the country by renewable energies. The article surveys the present situation of mini-hydroelectric facilities in Portugal.